Weather Vane Horse
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 32.6 x 37.3 cm (12 13/16 x 14 11/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 22" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17246
Art Historical Context
**Weather Vane Horse** by Gertrude Koch, created around 1940, is a captivating watercolor and gouache rendering from the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era Federal Art Project (1935–1942). This initiative employed artists to meticulously document everyday objects of American folk art and design, preserving cultural heritage amid the Great Depression. Koch, a skilled illustrator, captured the dynamic form of a traditional 22-inch-long weather vane horse—likely a 19th-century copper example from New England workshops—highlighting its role as a whimsical rooftop sentinel that pointed ...
About the Artist
Gertrude Koch
Gertrude Koch was an American artist active around 1935, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a landmark Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this initiative employed artists across the United States to create precise watercolor renderings of everyday folk art objects, preserving a visual record of America's ve...